Astrology News

August already? Weren’t we just in June? Oh, that’s right! Mercury’s retrograde. No wonder my mind feels a bit disconnected with the present! I’m busy figuring out why I haven’t had the attention I feel I need when the Sun is in Leo. And then, mere hours into the month, the Moon comes full in Aquarius, first in opposition to Mercury and then the Sun in Leo at 8:27 PM PDT August 1. There’s all this conflict about needing to do for others (Moon in Aquarius) when what I really want is to take care of MY needs (Sun/Mercury in Leo)!

Okay, maybe we’re not feeling quite that immature about things, but again, maybe we are. It is summer. We’re supposed to be relaxing, enjoying ourselves, taking it easy. But all is not calm. Part of ourselves is probing, going deep into places in our psyche we’ve never been, and it’s like cleaning a wound. There’s a lot of ouch! Stop! Be gentle there! Yet the cleaning must be done. Intuitively, we know we must take this time to see the future in a new way.

How can Venus be in Gemini and we want to spend time alone? Well, Venus is trine Saturn, which makes us a bit more cautious and self-conscious. And Neptune is square the nodes. Maybe we just want to daydream and are having a harder time with boundaries between ourselves and others, or ourselves and the greater world. Also, Jupiter is square Chiron. Perhaps you’ve suddenly realized you don’t know what you thought you did, and are having a crisis of confidence.

Chiron is also connected to Uranus, Pluto, and the Sun by various aspects as we begin the month. All these aspects reflect an abundance of old memories and structures, shaken loose by the tremendous power of the first Uranus/Pluto square, and now shuffling around like loose ends in our psyche. This is not a time to panic even if you feel like it. Breathe deep and find ways to do some self-care.

It is a time to see ways in which we have been stuck, or out of touch, and own them. This is a good thing. It happens to us all. We realize there are changes being made. Some are being made for us, by circumstances beyond our control. Others we can, and need to, create for ourselves.

It is natural to feel overwhelmed when it seems too many things are changing at once. We may feel triggered by fear of the unknown, or feel incapable of action. We may want to “check out,” indulge in behaviors we know are unwise, or just pretend it’s not happening. However, if you can allow yourself to shift perception and see this as a time of new beginnings, and new possibilities, perhaps beyond your wildest dreams, you’ll be utilizing the energy of the current transits in a positive way.

Mercury stations direct on August 7th or 8th, depending on your time zone, but will remain in its shadow, until it reaches the degree it was in when stationing retrograde, on August 22. That doesn’t mean you need to wait two more weeks to get started on a project or sign a contract, but just know that communication weirdnesses, snags or delays in transportation, or the reviews of our projects and plans may be likely to continue until Mercury is free and clear.

It happens that at the same time Mercury is stationing direct, Venus is transitioning into the sign of Cancer. Venus the goddess of love in Cancer the sign of the crab. How does that work? It depends on you! Few of us would argue that we don’t need more real love in the world, or that we as individuals couldn’t use a bit more feeling of being valued, in this current environment of crumbling structures and revolutionary changes. So let’s make it happen.

Let’s own our need to feel safe and defended when in relationship. Let’s own our insecurities around the changes we are all being required to make. And then, let’s also remind ourselves of the old “Do unto others…” adage. Maybe then we can actually create more lovingness in our life. We can be brave, take a few risks, offer appreciation and nurturing when it isn’t a requirement. We can offer acts of kindness, and bring more love into the world. Do this, perhaps one thing everyday for a week, and I can almost guarantee you’ll be more prepared for August 15th when Venus in Cancer faces off with Pluto in Capricorn at 7 degrees.

August 15, and the few days before and after, hold some very dynamic aspects. Venus opposes Pluto and squares Uranus, which may bring us face to face with truths about ourselves and our relationships that we may have been trying to avoid. Power struggles may be revealed; defensiveness and desires to have our own way may surface as complaints or feelings of victimization. Be brave and calculated in your responses. Mars conjuncts Saturn at this time, so self-control is required and more possible with effort.

On August 17, at 8:54 AM PDT, we have the New Moon in Leo. Finally our feelings and our ego desires can be at the same place at the same time. Leo of the big and generous heart, allows us all to feel we can have a moment in the spotlight. The Venus/Pluto/Uranus T-square is still in effect as is the Mars/Saturn conjunction (sextile the New Moon), which makes the New Moon period a good one for visioning the future you want to see happen. Let the Mercury/Uranus trine bring in intuitive glimpses into your future. Prior insights you’ve received this month can also be fodder for your planning.

On August 20, the Moon’s passage through Libra will form a Cardinal Grand Cross with Venus in Cancer, plus our Uranus/Pluto square. We may feel an increased sensitivity, even an edginess, particularly around changes that may be happening in our relationships. Like most changes, some may feel positive and we long for them. Others can seem scary and we want to avoid them. But as Eckhart Tolle reminds us: “Some changes look negative on the surface, but you will soon realize that space is being created in your life for something new to emerge.”

The Sun moves into Virgo on August 22, and opposes Neptune in Pisces. Great time to let that Neptune dreaminess seep into the Virgoan desire for exactness. Take a walk in a beautiful garden or trim back the weeds from your own! This aspect is exact on August 23 but stays in effect almost to the time of the Full Moon on August 31. You may feel some confusion during this time. Just be patient. Listen to your intuition. Write down some of your concerns, and keep adding to the list. Mercury is still in its shadow, and making aspects with various planets that it also aspected during its retrograde period. The Sun will also be opposing Chiron during much of that week, so don’t be surprised to see the “Achilles heel” of a well-known person be accented in the news. And don’t be surprised to have more inklings of your own fears and where they may reside.

Mars moves into its own sign of Scorpio on August 23, and could give us the willingness to confront those fears, dig a bit deeper into where they may be coming from, and how they might be healed. Mars will be trine Neptune in Pisces, which may weaken one’s physical strength but not one’s spiritual strength, and then trine Chiron for the rest of the month. Pay extra attention to your dreams the last week of August.

On August 29th Mercury will sextile Saturn, and we could finally get some clarity on ideas and dreams that have come to us during the Mercury retrograde period and since. On that same day, the Moon’s nodes change signs. The North Node moves into Scorpio and the South Node moves into Taurus. Having the nodes in these particular fixed signs will likely increase the nation’s (and most likely our own) emphasis on the economy and entrenched values.

When the second Full Moon of the month, a Blue Moon in Pisces, occurs at 6:58 AM PDT on August 31, Mars will be trine the Full Moon, and sextile the Sun in Virgo. These aspects may provide the interest and impetus to take action on those plans we envisioned on the New Moon. The Full Moon, however is mingling with Neptune and Chiron in Pisces, which could mean the actual action plan takes place in September.

Late on that last day of August, Mercury shifts into its own sign of Virgo, but it, too, will aspect Neptune and then Chiron by opposition. Thus, despite Mercury’s usual comfort in Virgo, it too, will be somewhat discombobulated by its relationship with Neptune. So, be cautious about information you receive or information you communicate, particularly around your own needs.

It’s another big month of shifting sands and historical alterations in the status quo. Dig in! Life in these times is a very rich experience.